Intergalactic conquest with an AI

Lilla's brother dodged with all the agility his powers could muster, his spear flashing with electricity as he parried and counterattacked. But Harlix's teleportation made it nearly impossible to keep him at bay.

Every time he created a bit of distance, Harlix would disappear in a blink and reappear right in his face, forcing him back into close combat where Harlix had the upper hand.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Come now, is this all you've got?" Harlix taunted, his voice dripping with mockery as he swung his electrified whip. It cracked through the air like thunder, narrowly missing Lilla's brother, who ducked just in time.

"You're quick; I'll give you that," Harlix continued mocking him with a wicked grin spreading across his face. "But how long can you keep running? Sooner or later, your little tricks will run out, and then... well, let's just say you'll have the honor of becoming my next experiment."

Lilla's brother gritted his teeth, sweat dripping down his face. His spear glowed brightly as he channeled more energy into it, the air around him crackling with lightning. He lunged forward, thrusting the spear directly at Harlix's chest.

But before the attack could land, Harlix vanished.

"Too slow," Harlix's voice echoed from behind him.

Before he could react, Harlix's fist connected with his back. The impact triggered a fiery explosion that sent Lilla's brother flying across the rooftop. He landed hard, rolling several times before stopping near the edge.

The only thing that saved him from being incinerated was the protective air current that surrounded him, cushioning the worst of the blow.

"Brother!" Lilla's voice rang out, sharp, and panicked.

Harlix turned to her, his glowing yellow eyes narrowing as his grin widened. "Don't worry, dear. You'll be next. Though I must admit, I'm far more interested in you. That second ability of yours, the way that arm materialized earlier? mmmm, so fascinating. Is it a projection? A construct? Or something... deeper?"

Lilla said nothing, her piercing gray eyes locked on Harlix. Her hair whipped wildly in the wind as she raised her hands, the air around her beginning to swirl.

"Ah, still giving me the silent treatment?" Harlix chuckled. "That's fine. I'll extract the answers myself after I'm done dissecting your brother, of course."

Lilla's brother pushed himself up, clutching his spear tightly as he stumbled back to his feet. "You're not touching her, you bastard!" He snarled, even though blood was dripping from his lip.

Harlix tilted his head, almost amused. "Oh, how noble. And foolish."

He raised his whips again, the electrified tendrils sparking with lethal energy. In a flash, he teleported behind Lilla's brother once more, the whips cracking through the air as they struck toward him.

But this time, Lilla was ready.

The massive white arm materialized again, intercepting the whip mid-strike. Its sheer size and strength were enough to stop the attack cold, the tendrils sparking uselessly against its surface.

Harlix's grin faltered for a moment, his yellow eyes narrowing as he studied the arm. "Ah, there it is again. Magnificent. Truly magnificent."

Before he could analyze further, Lilla's brother surged forward, his spear arcing with lightning as he thrust it toward Harlix's exposed side.

But Harlix teleported away once more, reappearing a few meters away with an annoyed sigh. "You two are becoming quite the nuisance." He flexed his fingers, his fists glowing faintly as he prepared another attack.

After saying that, he teleported directly in front of Lilla's brother, his fist cocked back and glowing with fiery energy.

"NO!" Lilla shouted while the wind around her howled as she unleashed a powerful gust. The force of the wind was enough to knock Harlix slightly off-balance, causing his punch to graze her brother's shoulder instead of hitting him square in the chest.

Even so, the impact was enough to send him sprawling again, another explosion rocking the rooftop.

Harlix turned toward Lilla, his grin returning. "Oh, I see. You care for him, don't you? Adorable." His voice dripped with condescension. "But caring only makes you weaker. Perhaps I'll let you watch as I break him apart, piece by piece."

Lilla's expression darkened, her gray eyes glowing with fury. The wind around her intensified, and the faint outline of another white arm began to take shape beside her.

"Enough talking," she said coldly. "If you're so fascinated by my abilities, let me give you a closer look."

For the first time, Harlix's grin faded slightly.

"Haha, that's it! Show me more of your ability! Let me witness all of it!" Harlix shouted, his voice echoing with maniacal glee. His electrified whips snapped through the air, his glowing yellow eyes fixated on Lilla like a predator savoring its prey.

Lilla's expression shifted. The fiery determination in her eyes hardened into something deeper, colder. Her beautiful gray eyes began to glow faintly, captivating and otherworldly, as if they held an ancient power beyond comprehension. Her voice, usually calm and composed, carried a weight that made even her brother freeze.

"Brother, stay back," she said firmly, her tone leaving no room for argument. "You're no match for him. I'll handle this myself."

"But—!" Her brother began, his spear trembling slightly in his grip.

"Stay back!" she repeated with her voice tone as sharp as steel. She stepped forward with a steady grace, the two massive white arms hovering beside her like silent guardians, their faint glow pulsing with the rhythm of her steps.

Harlix's grin widened with his fascination growing by the second. "Ahhh, that's more like it!" he exclaimed with his voice filled with twisted excitement. "The potential of your race truly is magnificent! Have you ever wondered, dear girl, why your kind is so fragile?"

Lilla continued walking toward him, her eyes locked on his. Explore more stories at empire

"Why didn't nature gift your species anything to defend itself?" Harlix continued, his tone shifting to mockery. "No powerful claws, no tough hide, not even fur to fight the cold. You're not built to survive. No fangs. No strength. And yet..." He chuckled, his voice low and sinister. "Yet, you humans are extraordinary. Do you know why?"

Lilla remained silent, her pace unbroken.

"I've found the truth of your kind!" Harlix declared while throwing his arms wide. "Inside your very code, there is a lock, a hidden potential buried deep within you. And do you know what the key is? Near-death experiences! When you're pushed to the brink, when your body and mind are moments from destruction, that's when your abilities awaken! It's... divine, really."

He extended his hand toward her, his expression a mixture of greed and admiration. "Come with me, child of humanity. Together, we could uncover all the secrets of your kind. Imagine it! The full potential of humanity unlocked! I promise it won't be painful."

Lilla stopped her tracks. For a moment, she closed her eyes, tuning out the sounds of the battlefield and Harlix's voice. She stood still, as if lost in her own memories.

She remembered the day Rex had saved her and her brother. They had been on the verge of death, hunted and abandoned, their lives slipping away. Her brother had awakened his abilities in the heat of desperation, a phenomenon so many humans had experienced before. But hers... hers had been different.

Years ago, when Rex had transported them to the underground city, she had been just a little girl. The new environment, a world of endless artificial light and cold, suffocating darkness that had crushed her spirit. No sun. No stars. No sky. Only darkness and cold, metallic silence.

She had spent her days crying, hiding her tears from her brother, who was doing his best to keep her safe. When the lights of the city's homes were extinguished at night, plunging the streets into total darkness since back before the city had implemented public lighting, she would sit alone, sobbing quietly.

And every night, as the darkness surrounded her, she would close her eyes and pray.

In her mind, she would picture Rex. not as the man he was, but as the glowing figure of pure white light she had seen when he saved them.

That image had burned itself into her memories, a figure of hope, warmth, and protection. She clung to it with every fiber of her being, repeating the same prayers every night while tears streamed down her face.

And then, one night, she fell asleep mid-prayer.

When she awoke, she found herself in a place she couldn't explain.

It was a garden of pure white, glowing softly with an ethereal light. The trees, the flowers, the grass, even the decorations around her were luminous and pristine, as if the world itself had been sculpted from starlight.

"Where... am I?" Lilla whispered while standing and brushing herself off. She looked around, her voice trembling with both awe and fear. "Is anyone here? H-hello?"

A soft, melodious voice responded, carrying a warmth that soothed her immediately. "Hello, child of Gaia."

Lilla froze, her heart racing with fear, since even though the voice was beautiful, she hadn't seen anyone nearby. She spun around, her small hands clutching her chest.

When she turned, her breath caught in her throat.

Before her stood a woman of indescribable beauty, radiant and otherworldly. She wore a flowing white dress that seemed to shimmer with the light of the stars, her long silver hair cascading down her back like liquid moonlight.

Her eyes were the same shade of gray as Lilla's, but they seemed infinite, like a deep ocean of wisdom and peace. Her skin glowed faintly, the same pure white as the garden around her.

"W-who... are you?" Lilla asked, her voice barely audible.

The woman smiled, her expression gentle. "Do not be afraid, little one. I am here because you called me."